Drifting Easy By Sue Foster

            “I see people casting off the beach. What kind of rod and reel 
should I buy? How much does it cost? What should I look for? “

            Surf casting from the beach is one of the most pleasurable kinds 
of fishing there is. There’s rarely a snag, there’s plenty of room as you 
have the whole beach to fish, the scenery is great, and you can catch fish 
too!

            “What do I need to buy?”

            First of all, you need a rod and a reel. Most anglers choose a 
10 to 11 foot surf rod with a reel that holds approximately 250 yards of 
20-pound test monofilament. If you have an extra $60 to $70 bucks, you can 
afford to buy an inexpensive rod and reel and the bare essentials to go surf 
fishing including a couple rigs and the bait.

            “What’s the difference between a $50 surf outfit and a $250 surf 
outfit?”

            The old saying “you get what you pay for” is true.  A basic, 
“starter” outfit is usually a 10-foot Silstar, Invincible, Shakespeare, 
Master, or Sea Striker “fiberglass with a little graphite mixed in” rod with 
foam grips. The reel is usually a basic Silstar, Shakespeare, Okuma, 
Invincible or Master reel with no or one ball bearing. These are fine 
outfits for getting started. Some people don’t know if they are going to 
like surf fishing. Some anglers may only get down once or twice a year and 
do not want to invest a whole lot of money. Others know themselves well 
enough to know they aren’t going to take care of it, and would rather buy a 
new rod and reel every couple of years.

            A more expensive rod would have more graphite in it, thus making 
it more sensitive and lighter in the hand. It doesn’t necessarily make it 
stronger, just more pleasant to use.  Some higher dollar surf rods have a 
“skinny” cork wrapped grip that also makes the rod lighter to hold. (A 
higher dollar surf rod probably weighs half what an inexpensive surf rod 
weighs.) The guides are usually of a higher quality. The rings on an 
inexpensive surf rod are made out of ceramic and are thicker and heavier. 
The rings on a more expensive surf rod may be made out of Aluminum Oxide 
that is thinner yet stronger and they also weigh less. Since the diameter of 
the rings is larger, your casting distance will increase.  They will also 
hold up longer. If you are using a “Spectra Fiber” line such as “Power Pro”, 
it is important to invest in a higher quality rod. The thin Spectra line can 
eventually cut through ceramic guides.

            Most of the name brand, fishing tackle brands carry the higher 
quality surf rods. Penn, Daiwa, Tica, St. Croix, Sea Striker Beachrunner and 
Star are a few of the brand names to look for.  While you can buy an 
inexpensive 10-foot surf rod starting around $20, you will be looking at $60 
to $190 to buy a quality surf rod. If you plan to surf fish a lot, it is 
well worth the extra bucks.

            “What makes a quality surf reel?”

            A higher quality surf reel will have more than one ball bearing, 
anywhere from 2 to 13.  The more ball bearings, the smoother a reel will 
feel.  Some reels, such as Shimano, boasts ball bearings that are “sealed.” 
Although most Shimano reels have no more than four ball bearings, they are 
“high quality,” stainless, sealed ball bearings.  A $50 reel with 11 ball 
bearings is not better than a $150 reel with 4 ball bearings. Again, “you 
get what you pay for” is true.

            “Where are the ball bearings in a reel?”

            If a reel has one ball bearing it is located between the rotor 
(head) of the reel and the main body. If a reel has a second ball bearing, 
it is located next to the main gear.  If a reel has a third ball bearing, it 
is placed on the other side of the main gear. A forth ball bearing is 
usually located beside the bail roller. This is a “plus” when it comes to 
ball bearings. This keeps your line roller on your bail rolling so your line 
does not make a groove in it. This is extremely important if you use the 
thin diameter “Spectra fiber” fishing lines.  Some reels will say they have 
“3 plus 1 ball bearings.”  This means the “plus one” is in the line roller.

            A higher dollar reel may have heavier gears, (stainless and 
brass are always good things to hear, though it may make the reel heavy in 
the hand).  A quality reel will have more drag discs in the drag system to 
make the drag work well. (Inexpensive reels may only have 2 to 4 disks in 
the drag, where a high quality reel may have over a dozen!) Some reels, such 
as the Shimano Baitrunner brag having a Waterproof Drag System.  (Please, 
this does not mean you can dunk it in the ocean and it will continue to work 
well!)  Most quality reels are well balanced and do not wobble because they 
have some sort of internal balance system that makes the rotor stop 
immediately when you stop cranking the handle.  Shimano calls this “Super 
Stopper II” or “Dyna- Balance.”  Daiwa calls this “Infinite Anti-Reverse.” 
Tica calls it “Computer Balanced.” Penn calls it a “balanced rotor.”  Look 
for anything with this type of wording. You can crank the different reels in 
the tackle store you can definitely feel it.

            Other qualities some more expensive reels may have are extra 
spools, a fold- down handle for easy storage, a wood or rubber handle that 
feels good when cranking, and a nitrated line roller. Nitrated line rollers 
are usually gold, rather than silver, and are made of a harder space age 
material. This extends the life of the line roller and is good to have if 
you are using the “spectra” lines.

            An inexpensive surf reel can cost as little as $20. A medium 
quality reel may cost between $50 and $70. A high quality reel generally 
cost $100 or more. No matter how much you pay for a reel however, it will 
not withstand falling in the sand or washing in the ocean. Often times, if 
your reel gets salt and sand inside it, the anti-reverse quits working. 
(This means the reel turns both ways, whether you have it in gear or not.) 
It has to be taken apart to be fixed and may cost you time and an hourly 
rate at a repair shop.

            So, after buying your surf rod and reel, no matter whether it is 
a $40 combo or a $400 dollar combo, you want to protect your investment by 
buying a simple sand spike. The sand spike, made out of PVC or metal, is 
pushed in the sand, so you can put your rod butt in it while you’re fishing. 
You can bait up, rest, take your fish off the hook, etc… while placing your 
rod in the holder.  (If your reel accidentally falls in the sand don’t wash 
it off in the ocean. I grab my bottled water, and give it a quick flush as 
soon as possible.)
When you get home, always wash off your rod and reel with fresh water.

            “What kind of line should I buy?”

            Some outfits will already be spooled with line. I always suggest 
15, 17, or 20 pound test monofilament on the average rod and reel 
combination. The lighter the line, the further you can cast and the less 
sinker weight you will have to use.  If you are buying a higher quality 
outfit and want to try the spectra line, go with 30-pound test. (This is an 
8- pound test diameter.) If you use the spectra line, always put 
monofilament backing on the spool. (If you don’t, the line can actually spin 
on the spool!) We tie the spectra line into the monofilament backing with a 
uni-knot and try to estimate about 200 yards of the spectra line. Always 
fill up your spool to within 1/8 of an inch of the lip so you get a full 
cast.

            Spectra lines have no stretch, so it is very sensitive. But 
since there is no stretch, it is very important to set your drag and also to 
make sure your drag is working correctly!  That’s one reason I don’t suggest 
putting spectra line on the “bargain basement” surf reels. The drags, line 
rollers, and gear systems are just not sophisticated enough to endure the 
spectra line. In time, you will wear out your reel.  (You can put it on 
anyway of course, but keep in mind that your reel may not last as long as 
you would like and the line may cost you more than the reel!)

            Spectra lines are thin diameter, so it can cut through tender 
fingers. Buy a finger guard or wrap your casting finger with a band-aid or 
duck tape.

            So now that you have your rod, reel, line and sand spike, you’re 
almost ready to go. Get two or three surf rigs, some hurricane type surf 
sinkers in the 3 to 5-ounce for typical everyday fishing, a rag, and a pair 
of needle nosed pliers. Get a 5-gallon bucket to put your rigs and bait in. 
(Those sea gulls will steal your bait!) There’s lot of other accessories you 
can buy of course, but these are the essentials to get started.

            Surf fishing is fun and relaxing.

 Good fishing… 




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